Fiji suspended from British Commonwealth

Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma cited the Pacific island country's lack of progress towards democracy.

Mr Sharma said he was taking the step - only the second full suspension in the organisation's history - "in sorrow".

Commodore Frank Bainimarama seized power in Fiji in a 2006 coup and has said elections can only be reinstated in 2014, as part of his "roadmap".

He says he needs time to institute reforms that will end the ethnic-based voting system tipped in favour of ethnic Fijians.

But his critics charge that under his rule, Fiji has suspended the constitution, detained opponents and suppressed freedom of speech.

In a statement, the Commonwealth said it had demanded that Fiji commit, by 1 September, to rejoining negotiations with the opposition and to holding credible elections by October 2010.

Mr Sharma said that although Cmdr Bainimarama had reaffirmed "his commitment to the principles of the Commonwealth", he had not met the terms of the 1 September deadline.

He said Fiji's suspension was therefore "a step the Commonwealth is now obliged to take, and one that it takes in sorrow".

Cmdr Bainimarama repeated his opposition to the 2010 election timetable when he spoke to commercial radio earlier on Tuesday, reported AFP news agency.

"The Fiji government believes the roadmap is the only path to ensuring sustainable and true democracy, which includes... to have elections in 2014," he said.

"We will remain with that."